Houghton women's soccer has qualified for the Empire 8 conference tournament each of the past two seasons. With a solid group of returners, and an exciting incoming class, the Highlanders will look to make a push toward the top of the conference standings as they build on a culture of sacrifice and unity. Head Coach
Esther Pellegrino shared her thoughts on this year's upcoming season.
Provide a quick recap of last season.
Last year we saw a lot "click" within our team. Our culture has continued to grow in a positive way that has really transitioned onto the field. We clinched E8 playoffs for the second year in a row and are eager to build on that this coming season.
What team goals have you put in place for the coming season?
Make conference playoffs and be competitive in every game on our schedule.
What are the keys to meeting those goals?
We have great depth and our team has worked and continues to work really hard at learning each person's strengths to be able to play well to those strengths. Maintaining quality soccer at a quick pace will be crucial to meeting our goals and relying on the readiness and reliability of our bench will be huge for us.
What are your team's greatest strengths?
Our biggest strength is our culture and chemistry. This is a team that has a lot of depth and plays well to each other's strengths—it's a process, but they are eager to play for the person next to them and to make each other look their best.
What personnel losses from last season will be hardest to replace?
We had a strong senior class in
Natalie Milne,
Rileigh Studley,
Morgan Applegate, Abbie Nuzzo and '
Alliah Fluent, with four of the five being starters.
Milne, Studley and Applegate were pillars in the middle of the field for us the past few years and Nuzzo stepped up out wide, but I am excited to see how this year's team will carry on the rich history of success within Houghton Women's Soccer. It's one of my favorite parts of coaching: I love to see how each team becomes their own. There are no two teams exactly the same, and it's fun to see [their identity] develop throughout the season.
Who are the key returners and what do they provide the team?
Key returners for us are
Karryne Mims (E8 All-Conference & NCCAA All-Region, 3G, 3A),
Taylor Curyto (E8 All-Conference & NCCAA All-Region, 5G & 1A),
Elena Esh (6G & 1A),
Sophia Templeton (1G & 6A) and
Aivery Shuck (2G & 2A) who all provide creativity and variety in the attack as well as Liz Wertz (starting CB),
Jenika Krum (starting OB) and
Preslee Miller (starting GK) who have been steadfast and reliable on the back line.
Who are some of the newcomers who could contribute and what do they add to your team?
I am excited about each newcomer we added to the roster this year!
Addie Fisher plays with a maturity beyond her years and has great vision of the field from the midfield as well as out wide.
Amelia Jones brings speed and stealth in the attack and her ability to strike a ball makes her dangerous in front of the net.
Emma Kamas is strong on the ball - her ability to hit a ball and find her teammates with her read on the game will help in our attack and also to minimize the opposing team's attack
Grace Russell brings great composure, quickness, and technical ability to the field. She creates well for herself and her teammates.
Hope Russell just has a nose for the goal. She has such a quick release on her shot and is a tough and savvy attacker.
Jordyn Snyder adds quickness, both in pace and her play off the ball She also brings great physicality, which is already up to par with the college game.
Lucy Starzyk organizes and communicates well from the net. She is confident and strong with the ball at her foot and has a really great understanding of the game.
Giulianna Tomaszewski is a tenacious defender and a simple but incredibly effective attacker anticipates the play well.
Gracelyn Williams brings energy and toughness to the field. She is smooth on the ball, but not afraid to make the tough plays and is relentless on both sides of the ball.
What are some of the pivotal games on the schedule?
We have some tough non-conference matchups that I am hopeful will prepare us well for E8 play. Each conference game is pivotal - there are no games to take lightly!
